Culpepper – and all his friends – scammed her for sex

A 16-year old girl living in Arizona met a woman online named Talia Richardson.

They contacted each other through Internet chat, e-mail and Skype.

The 16-year old has not been identified, so we’ll call her the Girl.

Eventually, the Girl fell in love with Talia.

She sent Talia explicit sexual photographs.

And Talia sent her explicit sexual photographs in return.

The Girl also met various other people online, including Talia’s stepsister Tasha and Tasha’s girlfriend Melissa.

She also met Sam Doles and another guy named Tom.

The Girl also began corresponding online with Talia’s friend, Michael Lee Culpepper.

Talia told the Girl she should send explicit sexual pictures of herself to Michael, and order him to perform acts of self-bondage, where he would restrain himself for sexual pleasure.

The Girl did as Talia asked and sent Michael explicit sexual photographs of herself.

Tom contacted the Girl. He told her that he knew she had sent Talia explicit photographs, that she is only 16, and that Talia is actually a registered sex offender. He threatened to turn Talia in to the police unless the Girl also sent him explicit sexual photographs.

The Girl sent Tom explicit sexual photographs of herself.

When the Girl turned 18, she decided to move to Corvalis, Oregon, and live with Talia.

Talia told her that she had to leave for the summer "for treatment" and would return in the fall, but she should come to Corvalis and live with her friend Michael.

The girl moved in with Michael.

Talia told the Girl to work with Michael on sexual activities and practice with him before Talia came back.

Then the Girl stopped hearing from Talia.

Michael said she should move on with her life.

The Girl found a key in Michael’s room. It fit the lock on an ankle chain that Talia had sent her.

She remembered when talking to Talia, Talia’s voice sometimes would break and she would sound like a guy.

She realized she had never seen Talia in real life.

And Michael had told her that he was a registered sex offender.

The Girl eventually learned that the people she had been corresponding with – Talia, Talia’s stepsister Tasha, her girlfriend Melissa, Sam Doles and the blackmailer Tom – were all played by the 23-year-old man she was living with: Michael Lee Culpepper.

Michael Lee Culpepper

The Girl and the police went through her e-mails and found about 200 with sexually explicit attachments. They also found an Internet chat log that proves she was under 18 when she had a relationship with the fake Talia.

Michael Lee Culpepper was arrested and charged with the felonies of encouraging child sexual abuse, coercion, subjecting another person to involuntary servitude and five counts of identity theft. He was jailed on $715,000 bail.